Jamshedpur, Sept. 23: State human resource development (HRD) minister Pradeep Yadav today faced the ire of teachers from about 150 non-affiliated intermediate colleges after he announced that only those teachers, who have B.Ed degrees from government-recognised institutions, would be considered for permanent posts.

Yadav was present at a function organised by the Jharkhand Inter College Teaching and Non-teaching Employees? Association.

Sensing trouble, the minister sought to make a hasty retreat but the agitating teachers protested and raised slogans to force him to clarify the matter.

?A middle path will be devised for those who do not have the B.Ed degrees. I assure you that the state HRD ministry will solve the matters related to affiliation and financial aid to the intermediate colleges on or before Durga puja this year,? the minister said, in a bid to pacify a crowd of over 1,000 teachers.

Yadav?s initial announcement particularly enraged those teachers, who neared the end of their career but had no B.Ed degree to boast of. Rajkishore Prasad, a senior teacher of MLA Mahila Inter College in Lohardaga, said he has been serving for the past 25 years and it was not impossible for him to obtain a B.Ed degree and get his post regularised.

Raghunath Singh, the convener of the association, informed that following the establishment of Bihar Intermediate Education Council (BIEC) in 1980, these colleges were established with the teaching and non-teaching staff being appointed in conformity with the service code.

In Jharkhand, a total of 150 such colleges exist, out of which only 80 are affiliated on a temporary basis. But none of these colleges receive any financial help from the state government.

Chairman of Jharkhand Academic Council Shaligram Prasad Yadav said the council has recommended to the state HRD ministry that the issues of affiliation and financial aid for these 150 colleges should be considered.